UCF Business Incubation Program to open Apopka Incubator within next 90 days

ORLANDO, Fla. --- The City of Apopka and the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program anticipate opening an incubator site in downtown Apopka before April 1.

The UCF Business Incubation Program provides technical assistance and support to help promising startup companies accelerate their growth and create more local jobs.

Currently, the UCF Business Incubation Program manages facilities in Winter Springs, Sanford, Leesburg, St. Cloud, Kissimmee and Daytona Beach, in addition to Central Florida Research Park and on Colonial Drive in Orlando.

Dr. Tom O’Neal, founder of the UCF Business Incubation Program and one of the nation’s leading experts on university-based business incubation, said that over the past 10 years the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 client companies create more than 1,600 new jobs.

Startup businesses range from a St. Cloud company that helps Florida ranchers and farmers sell fresh, locally grown foods to Florida restaurants and hotels, to a Daytona Beach company gearing up to mass-produce its patented wind turbines that out-perform anything on the market. One client company in Kissimmee is currently filming a feature length motion picture. A client company in Leesburg produces an award winning video series on healthcare, a client company in the Research Park developed a GIS platform that helps disaster management agencies cope with tornadoes and hurricanes.

“Our client companies range from industry leaders to the fields of laser photonics, simulation technology, rapid prototyping, web development and alternative energy to commercial delivery services for area restaurants,” said Dr. O’Neal, who currently serves as president of the Florida Business Incubation Assn.

Last year the UCF Business Incubation Program graduated more than 20 companies that are succeeding without further assistance from the program. Over the same 12 month period, the program accepted a record 64 new start-up companies, Dr. O’Neal said.

The UCF Business Incubation Program carefully screens each company before admitting them to the program.

“We have delivered sophisticated tools to gauge the potential for success of a startup company within the incubator program and we are very selective in our process,” Dr. O’Neal said.

“We aim to provide assistance to companies that have the greatest potential to grow and create jobs,” he said.

About the UCF Business Incubation Program:
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Business Incubation Program has helped more than 200 emerging companies (including more than 100 current clients) create over $200 million in annual total economic output and more than 1,600 new jobs with an average salary of $59,000. With nine facilities across the Greater Orlando community, the Business Incubation Program is a collaboration in economic development between the University of Central Florida, Orange County, the City of Orlando, Seminole County, the City of Winter Springs, The City of Sanford, Lake County, the City of Leesburg, Osceola County, the City of Kissimmee, City of St. Cloud, Volusia County and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. Please visit www.incubator.ucf.edu and UCFBIP on Facebook.